It it worth backing up before getting a laptop screen repaired
closed account (E8A4Nwbp)
Even if you're entrusting your device with a certified, highly trusted service, would you back up your laptop before repairing it's cracked screen?
Is there a high possibility of expungement of files?
Is there a high possibility of expungement of files?
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I would, and a certified etc service would too.
Just ask yourself what you will say when you have lost all your data etc. If the answer is 'I don't care.' then don't bother backing up.
Just ask yourself what you will say when you have lost all your data etc. If the answer is 'I don't care.' then don't bother backing up.
it should have been backed up anyway.
Screen repair is low risk, but laptops in general are high risk across the board for hardware failures, theft, coffee-shop-hackers, and other problems. If I had one I would keep it automatically backing up every night.
Screen repair is low risk, but laptops in general are high risk across the board for hardware failures, theft, coffee-shop-hackers, and other problems. If I had one I would keep it automatically backing up every night.
closed account (E8A4Nwbp)
| jonnin wrote: |
|---|
| If I had one |
I don't have a laptop. 3 desktop PCs for me.
I daily backup the boot partition, and monthly back up the entire structure to removable media HD.
I am as productive without having a laptop as I like and need to be.
I daily backup the boot partition, and monthly back up the entire structure to removable media HD.
I am as productive without having a laptop as I like and need to be.
I assume if you're doing backups daily that you have some sort of automated system? May I ask what software you use? I have a few backups but I'm not very consistent it with it, so I wouldn't be prepared if my system crashed tomorrow.
But yes, to the original question, definitely copy your hard-drive or at least the files you care about before sending your laptop off somewhere.
But yes, to the original question, definitely copy your hard-drive or at least the files you care about before sending your laptop off somewhere.
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Macrium Reflect
https://www.macrium.com/
There is a free edition available.
https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree
I have a 4 pack of the Home Edition.
https://www.macrium.com/
There is a free edition available.
https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree
I have a 4 pack of the Home Edition.
Aside from backup, there is data security.
You could always take the disk out of the machine before you send it off for repairs.
You could always take the disk out of the machine before you send it off for repairs.
closed account (E8A4Nwbp)
| May I ask what software you use? |
P.S:Don't hesitate to suggest more back up sites you approve of from experience
I do have a home PC, It would be incredibly convenient if I could seamlessly switch from laptop to pc and vice versa (where the PC has my own domain). Is such luxury costly? I have office 365, so I should have onedrive? I'm not sure how to begin.
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I am old, I guess. I have a batch file that compresses changed files in specific folders and copies it over. Ive had one too many dedicated backup programs fail, though that was long ago I got in the habit of DIY.
Backups should not be costly. A USB hard-drive will last ages and if you leave off the things you don't need (like installed OS/ programs etc) your actual data is probably fairly small. If you are a movie/audio junkie you need more space.
Backups should not be costly. A USB hard-drive will last ages and if you leave off the things you don't need (like installed OS/ programs etc) your actual data is probably fairly small. If you are a movie/audio junkie you need more space.
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jonnin, I ain't no spring chicken either, but having lost data and programs from hard-drive glitches and failures more times than even I deserve I now back up the entire boot partition.
Daily.
Saved my bacon bits on more than one occasion.
The software I use makes it easier to change the boot drive and keep the OS intact. Even if I change to a larger sized drive. The back-up software adjusts the cluster layout (or whatever) for the new size.
My exact backup strategy is weekly do full backup, and then the rest of the week is differentials.
Two weeks worth of weekly backups. And a single "first of the month" full backup as well.
Got bit by a virus that went undetected for 8 days. Withtwo weeks of daily backups and *BAM!* No virus after restoring from the previous week's backups.
Windows 10 (7) is not as bad, XP and Win98 lots of times kept a lot of garbage behind after installing/uninstalling software. I'd test some new "gotta have" bit of software and figure I don't want it.
So if I remember I create a backup right before I install the program, and if I have to roll-back I restore the latest backup.
Windows Restore Point tech is garbage IMO.
I'm probably more anal retentive than I need to be, but for the most part the backups are automated so I don't have to worry about creating them.
Better overkill than a slappy fight.
Daily.
Saved my bacon bits on more than one occasion.
The software I use makes it easier to change the boot drive and keep the OS intact. Even if I change to a larger sized drive. The back-up software adjusts the cluster layout (or whatever) for the new size.
My exact backup strategy is weekly do full backup, and then the rest of the week is differentials.
Two weeks worth of weekly backups. And a single "first of the month" full backup as well.
Got bit by a virus that went undetected for 8 days. Withtwo weeks of daily backups and *BAM!* No virus after restoring from the previous week's backups.
Windows 10 (7) is not as bad, XP and Win98 lots of times kept a lot of garbage behind after installing/uninstalling software. I'd test some new "gotta have" bit of software and figure I don't want it.
So if I remember I create a backup right before I install the program, and if I have to roll-back I restore the latest backup.
Windows Restore Point tech is garbage IMO.
I'm probably more anal retentive than I need to be, but for the most part the backups are automated so I don't have to worry about creating them.
Better overkill than a slappy fight.
| It it worth backing up before getting a laptop screen repaired |
You should have your system backed up no matter what. Even a hard-drive glitch can be hard to recover without a backup.
A file/folder backup is better than nothing. A full drive/partition backup makes restoration easier.
closed account (E8A4Nwbp)
@Furry Guy May I ask what is the catch with this:
| There is a free edition available. https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree |
those are the 2 main points Furry ... 1) automate it so its there when you need it using a process you trust (if possible, test a restore!) and 2) be able to say you can restore your machine without major loss (frequency depends on you and your personal needs). The rest are just details.
No "catch." Look at what features are available and not with each version listed in the spec sheet on that page.
The last time I installed and used the free edition was in January 2011, and I don't remember anything even as lowlevel nagware such as needing to enter an email address. I was using Reflect Free years before then.
Even if it does, get a "throw-away" free email account with hotmail or another online email service and you are "golden."
The last time I installed and used the free edition was in January 2011, and I don't remember anything even as lowlevel nagware such as needing to enter an email address. I was using Reflect Free years before then.
Even if it does, get a "throw-away" free email account with hotmail or another online email service and you are "golden."
Since I back up the boot partition, on 3 PCs, the size varies.
For a full back up as low as ~= 12GB to ~= 64GB. The amount of data is somewhat compressed, the 64GB backup is from an SSD with used space ~- 112GB.
The differentials are smaller, but the more data changed the bigger they are. 2-8GB on average each day.
The backups are stored on another internal mounted HD (non-SSD), used as storage and where I install most software if I am allowed to change install location.
I have a couple of USB drives that are used for longer term storage greater than a couple of weeks.
I am not saving FILES, I create an IMAGE of the boot partition. Different way to backup data than people are used to.
You don't have to do an image restore, the image files can be explored like a drive in File Explorer. So you have a couple of files you want to change, drag and drop.
A full image backup can take less than 10 minutes, a full restore less than 20 on average. Differentials/incrementals are less time.
The paid versions can back-up files and folders.
For a full back up as low as ~= 12GB to ~= 64GB. The amount of data is somewhat compressed, the 64GB backup is from an SSD with used space ~- 112GB.
The differentials are smaller, but the more data changed the bigger they are. 2-8GB on average each day.
The backups are stored on another internal mounted HD (non-SSD), used as storage and where I install most software if I am allowed to change install location.
I have a couple of USB drives that are used for longer term storage greater than a couple of weeks.
I am not saving FILES, I create an IMAGE of the boot partition. Different way to backup data than people are used to.
You don't have to do an image restore, the image files can be explored like a drive in File Explorer. So you have a couple of files you want to change, drag and drop.
A full image backup can take less than 10 minutes, a full restore less than 20 on average. Differentials/incrementals are less time.
The paid versions can back-up files and folders.
Its going to vary wildly from person to person though. I can backup everything I care about except my MP3 collection in well under a compressed gig. Code isnt very big compressed if you can the intermediate files.
A file/folder backup will generally be of smaller size than a full disc image. Of course.
The advantage to me for an image is should I want to change boot drives, or the boot drive dies, I don't have to reinstall Windows and all the programs I already have installed on my boot drive.
I simply restore the image, redeploy the image if putting in a larger drive, and everything is all back to what it was when the image was created.
I have programs I couldn't install again if I had to install Windows again.
A large sized boot drive image for me is preferable over a smaller file/folder backup.
My secondary drive. Since that is not a boot drive a file/folder backup of the contents is sufficient.
The advantage to me for an image is should I want to change boot drives, or the boot drive dies, I don't have to reinstall Windows and all the programs I already have installed on my boot drive.
I simply restore the image, redeploy the image if putting in a larger drive, and everything is all back to what it was when the image was created.
I have programs I couldn't install again if I had to install Windows again.
A large sized boot drive image for me is preferable over a smaller file/folder backup.
My secondary drive. Since that is not a boot drive a file/folder backup of the contents is sufficient.
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